Film Review Of The Documentary 'Fed Up'

Long ago, the ancestors of humans lived in unpredictable times in which meals were not guaranteed. Now in the 21st century, data suggests, as mentioned in Fed Up, that there will be more deaths caused directly or indirectly by obesity than by starvation. The documentary Fed Up focuses on the terrifying issue that plagues the United States and the world: obesity. It delves into the components that contribute to this menacing epidemic that only continues to get worse. The documentary builds on the stories of four young American children from all over the country that are severely obese. One of the kids, at 14 years of age, weighs over 400 pounds. Fed Up tries to answer one simple question with a complex and scary answer. How did the world get here? There are several different issues the documentary tried to address to answer this question. In the documentary, several misconceptions about food were dissected. In addition to debunking myths about food, the documentary discussed how it is possible to eat healthy for less money than eating unhealthy. Those were a few of the aspects that can have an impact on individuals, but the documentary did not stop there. It also attacked the huge food industry for their misleading advertisements and selling techniques, as well as condemning their focus of selling to younger people. Furthermore, the documentary explained how the food industry is so rich and powerful in the country’s capital that it has thwarted the many attempts in trying

It has become impossible for low-income families to provide healthy meals for their families. Government, Farm policies and the food industry itself are main reasons as to why the cost of healthy foods has become harder for American families, especially low-income families, to provide the healthy foods needed to fight the obesity epidemic. With low- income families being the main focus point on the problem of

The documentary “Fed Up” provides some important and disturbing details of the food industry. The 1977 heart disease and diet study known as the McGovern Report warned that the obesity rate was increasing rapidly due to American diets in fatty meats, saturated fats, cholesterol, and sugar. The food industry vehemently denied these claims, but the American people still demanded lower fat food products. The food manufacturers found that the fat removal made the food bland and unpalatable so to address this they replaced the fat content with sugar. Both the documentary and the Harvard Nutrition Source discuss the role sugar has in health conditions such as obesity and type 2 diabetes. They both link the consumption of sugar as the causality for

According to the WHO (World Health Organization) the health of the people in the United States has not always been the greatest. With an obesity rate of 33.9 percent, which translates into over 106 million obese Americans, this has caused many problems to arise and impact the daily lives of Americans. Many have tried to help in regards to this issue by improving school foods or attempting to encourage more physical activity. Unfortunately, these may have helped but only in a small scale. However, a fellow at the Union of Concerned Scientists, Mark Bittman believes that he may have a definitive solution. On May 25, 2016, in “Taxing Sugar to Fund a City” New York Times food journalist, Mark Bittman, by using the taxing of sugary beverages in Philadelphia - America’s poorest big city - earnestly

The dollar menu section of this documentary focused on how processed foods and fast food are typically less expensive than healthier foods. The documentary shows one family having the dilemma at the grocery store: a family is aware that the father who has diabetes needs a healthier diet with more fresh, but they are forced to buy foods they can afford. As the film implies people with lower incomes are more likely to eat processed, cheaper, foods, leading to a higher rate of diabetes, obesity and other health problems. The federal government spends billions each year subsidizing commodity crops. Over time, prices of certain crops, like soybeans and corn, were lowered due to these subsidies causing overproduction which made them a lot cheaper than other crops. Since these crops were so cheap, meat and food producers started using them for a variety of purposes, such as, high-fructose corn syrup, animal feed and hydrogenated oils. The lowest-priced options at the grocery are processed foods made from subsidized ingredients that have refined grains with added fats and sugars. This cheap food has had the greatest impact on low-income families. Because are on a tight budget, the price difference between fresh healthy foods and food with subsidized

Childhood obesity is a rather new reality in the United States due to intake of sugary snacks and beverages, childhood obesity is the result of a sustained energy imbalance. Most youth never eat the required daily servings of fruits and vegetables; its noted only one in five eat the required servings (21%) (Moore, Wilke, & Desrochers, 2017). The availability of sugary snacks and beverages in schools are what one would call “junk food”. According to a study conducted by Ashlesha Datar and Nancy Nicosia (2012) students could purchase more than one single food and beverage items either

The film fed up is an examination of America’s obesity epidemic and the food industry’s influence on it. The film Fed Up focused on childhood obesity. This film portrayed many issues that are present in the United States today. Childhood obesity is influenced by the constant advertisements focusing on the high sugar foods; these advertisements are targeting children. Along with targeting children these advertisements use favorite characters and idols to encourage children to want these products that may not be health for them at all. Advertisements are sending out false messages, such as ‘this product is good, your idol loves it so you will too!’. This isn’t fair to children to only show them advertisements of unhealthy, sugary foods. Children follow the examples of their parents, so if a parent not making the healthy choices then the children may follow their decisions healthy or not. The United States original “cure” for obesity is eat less and exercise more. However, this “cure” may not be the true answer to losing weight. In 1977 the obesity epidemic began as well as the low fat foods. The low fat foods were low in fat but in order to make the food palatable they doubled the sugar. Scientists believe that this

102). One might impugn that it is not poverty but lack of education that affects the obesity epidemic. It does not require a mathematician to comprehend that choosing a two dollar case of Honey Buns as opposed to a six dollar bag of apples will equal more food in the refrigerator. Generally, processed foods are more “energy dense” than garden-fresh foods; they contain less water and fiber but more added fat and sugar, which make them both less satisfying and more calorific (Pollan, 2006). Provisions similar to fruits and vegetables contain high water content that permits individuals to feel satiated rather swiftly. Nutritious meals are more expensive, less tasty, and are more time consuming to prepare, fostering unhealthy eating patterns. On special occasions, parents will treat their children to McDonalds where everything is “super-sized”. Adults and children can acquire debauched consumption patterns because they don’t comprehend the quantity they have enthusiastically ingested. Pollan (2006) stated that “Well-designed fast food has a fragrance and flavor all its own, a fragrance and flavor only nominally connected to hamburgers or French fries or for that matter to particular food” (p. 111).

Childhood obesity has grown over the years and it has created an epidemic that is endangering our children. After watching the documentary Fed up and reading some of the articles from the nutrition source one of the health topics that I would like to discuss is the amount of sugar intake by Americans these days. According to the healthy eating plate on the nutrition source, they recommend us to drink only water, tea or coffee with minimal or no sugar added at all. They advise us to skip sugary drinks, limit milk and dairy products to one to two servings per day, and limit juice to a small glass per day. On the movie we see kind of the same thing, where experts warn us about the enormous amount of sugar intake that we as Americans take every day.

Americans love to eat anything crazy. If a meal that has triple-wrapped bacon hot-dog fried in panko crumbs stuffed cheese that is filled with diabetes, Americans would devour it. Unhealthy foods have been apart of the American diet as a commonality, more than healthy foods should be. Unhealthy junk foods consist of unnecessary fats, oils, sugars, high-fructose corn syrup, MSG, and many more. Healthy foods have been increasingly disappearing from our restaurants every second. However, young people need a healthy diet to live a long and fulfilling life from self-inflicting diseases. Authors like Jane E. Brody, Mark Bittman, Alice Waters, and Katrina Heron all advocate for healthy foods. Jane E. Brody in “Attacking the Obesity Epidemic by First Figuring Out Its Cause” describes the cause of the obesity epidemic and proposes many solutions against it. Alice Waters and Katrina Heron in “No Lunch Left Behind” discuss the accessible healthy foods students are in dire need of instead of the processed trash. Mark Bittman in “Bad Food? Tax it, and Subsidize Vegetables” elaborates on the many benefits from taxing “bad food” and subsidizing vegetables such as reducing healthcare costs, improving health, and many more. All of these authors fight for a healthy American diet. As a fellow human being, this epidemic must be solved and it starts with youth. Many schools’ lunches and available snacks/foods are more unhealthy than to be nutritional. However, schools do try to combat junk food. Based on school data, surveys, and nationwide statistics, unhealthy foods should be taxed and healthy, natural foods should be subsidized and be more available for schools and eventually all people for a healthier lifestyle.

Nowadays, Americans are facing the danger of being overweight. The article Bad Food? Tax It, and Subsidize Vegetables written by Mark Bittman highlights that “one third of all Americans either have diabetes or are pre-diabetic.” The fat in our body cannot be formed in one day or two. Instead, it is the result of constantly unhealthy eating habit. The author of Obesity Epidemic by First Figuring Out Its Cause stated that “Energy intake rose because of environmental push factors, i.e., increasing available, cheap, tasty, highly promoted obesogenic foods.” Additionally, according to Bittman, “The average American consumes 44.7 gallons of soft drink；s annually.” The fact that Americans like soft drinks and food that are high in calories is irreversible, but we can do something to change this situation.

This documentary was a very interesting one. What I learned that I wanted to reflect on was sugar. Sugar was pointed out many instances in the film. It didn’t matter if it was high fructose corn syrup or cane sugar, any type of sugar is not good for the body. The film pointed out that we eat twice the amount of sugary foods than in 1977, and it is startling to know the amount of sugar were consuming is still on the rise.

The increasing crisis of obesity and health related problems due to the amount of junk food one consumes is slowly, but surely becoming a problem in America. For decades, the food we consume has developed for the worse; food is not grown locally anymore and has many added preservatives and additives. One of the main reasons as to why there is an increase of obesity is related to the amount of sugar one will consume in a meal. Sarah Richards creates a well thought out article pulling out facts from the HOA about the effects sugar has on someone.

Over one-third or 78.6 million of U.S. adults are obese. Obesity and childhood obesity, in particular, are the focus of many public health efforts in the United States. New regulations have been implemented by the US Department of Agriculture for food packages in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has funded state- and community-level interventions, and there have been numerous reports and recommendations issued by the Institute of Medicine, the US Surgeon General, and the White House. According to Polis, Many people assert that unhealthy eating habits are the result of economic hardship. They say that healthful food is simply more expensive than unhealthful food. Now, science backs them up. The most comprehensive study of its kind indicates that yes, unhealthy food is about $1.50 cheaper per day, or about $550 per year, than healthy food. In a meta-review of 27 studies in 10 countries, researchers publishing in the British Medical Journal found that meats and proteins had the largest price differences, with healthier options costing an average $0.29 more per serving than less healthy options. Other categories such as snacks/sweets and grains also cost more for healthier options, at $0.12 and $0.03 respectively. No significant price differences were seen between healthier and less healthy soda and juices. Research and

The Western phenomenon of “fat and poor” seems baffling to many across the world. Why is it that our poorest individuals are riddled with diabetes, obesity, and other weight-related diseases? Many Americans live paycheck to paycheck. After bills are taken care of, the necessity that always suffers because of financial insecurities is food. People are quick to choose the cheap and fast food options over their healthy and time-consuming counterparts. This leaves many Americans to pick up the check for their bad food decisions later in life. At McDonald’s, a cheeseburger is cheaper than a salad, but a triple bypass surgery or a lifetime insulin supply surely costs more in the long run. When a monthly trip to the grocery store for a family of four costs more at the moment of purchase than a trip to the drive thru for a nightly meal, there’s no wonder why the decision to eat nutrient-sparse meals is easily made. For a struggling family, the logical realization that cooking at home can cost pennies per person is easily out shadowed by the quick and easy option from the closest drive thru with a dollar menu. While junk food provides the short-term satisfaction of a cheap meal, eating home cooked meals will save you big bucks in the long run.